Congo reports Ebola death in new province

The Democratic Republic of Congo's health authorities have reported the first Ebola death in a new province, raising concerns of broader transmission, according to an official speaking to Reuters. The victim, a motorcycle taxi driver, had traveled from Haut-Uele to Bas-Uele province, an area previously unaffected by the current outbreak.

Jean-Jacques Muyembe, head of Congo's National Institute for Biomedical Research, confirmed the case to Reuters. The individual succumbed to the disease in Bas-Uele's capital, Buta, after exhibiting hemorrhagic symptoms and testing positive for Ebola posthumously. Haut-Uele, one of five provinces currently grappling with the outbreak, has recorded 113 confirmed cases, the latest government data shows.

However, Bas-Uele would only be added to the list of affected provinces upon confirmation of local transmission. Muyembe revealed that the taxi driver had visited multiple healthcare facilities before his demise, and his fellow taxi drivers attempted to retrieve his body, leading local police to intervene and heightening fears of potential infections among them.

Since the outbreak's onset on May 15, Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak has infected 4,566 people, with 2,128 deaths, making it the second-largest outbreak on record, surpassed only by the West African epidemic that lasted from 2014 to 2016.